Fluid-operated motor or meter.



PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904.

W. H. REYNOLDS. FLUID OPERATED MOTOR OR METER.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1903.

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W. H. REYNOLDS. FLUID OPERATED MOTOR 0R METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE H. REYNOLDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO M. & I COMPANY OFCHICAGO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FLUID-OPERATED MOTOR OR METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,393, (la/z dOctober 4;, 1904,

Application filed July 1, 1903. Serial No. 163,856. (No model.)

To 0,7 7 whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIE H. REYNOLDS, a

citizen of the United States,residing at Austin, Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Fluid-Operated Motors or Meters, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings,forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved device adaptedto operate either as a meter or a motor operated by and measuring theflow of fluid under compression or pressure.

It consists of the features of construction which are set out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved motor or meter.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is asection at the line 33 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section at the line 4 l on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is anelevation of the valve-disk. Fig. 6 is a section at the line 6 6 on Fig.3. Fig. 7is asection attheline77 on Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a section at theline 8 8 on Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is asection attheline9 9 on Fig. 2. Fig. 10is a section at the line 10 10 on Fig. 2.

This motor comprises a cylindrical chamber 1, having a radial diaphragm2 extending in from one side toward the center and at its inner endabutting fluid-tight against an axial shaft 3, which is stepped in thebottom of the cylindrical chamber and protrudes out through the topplate 4:, above which it has rigidly secured to it a gear 5 forcommunicating motion, as hereinafter described, either for the purposeof power when the device is employed as a motor or for the purpose ofregistering the oscillations of the shaft when the device is used for ameter. The chamber has at each side of the radial diaphragm 2 aninlet-port and an outlet-port, the inlet-ports being designated 6 and 6,respectively, and the outlet ports 7 and 7. These ports open out througha boss 8, projecting from the cylindrical wall of the chamber, on whichthere is mounted the casing of a valve mechanism which controls theinlet and discharge of fluid.

to convert such oscillating movement into rotary movement of the motoror registering train-shaft, I provide for such conversion of motion bymounting fixedly with respect to the entire motorcase-as, for example,in a bracket 10, rigid with the 1notorcasetwo pinions 11 and 12, bothintermeshing with the gear 5, the pinion 12 having rigid with it a gear13, which inter-meshes with a gear 1d on the shaft 15 of the pinion 11.The pinion 11 and gear 14: are clutched to the shaft 15, both clutchesbeing adapted to drive the shaft in the same direction and to permit thepinions to idle about the shaft when rotating in reverse direction. Thespecific construction of these clutches is not material; but aconvenient form for the purpose is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, inwhich the shaft itself is the inner element, the gear constituting theouter element and being for that purpose provided with pockets 0, inwhich are lodged clutchrolls 5, which are held thrust into the narrowend of the pockets by springs 7/, so that when the gear rotates in onedirection the rolls are wedged between the inclined sides of the pocketsand the shaft, and when it rotates in the other direction they are freedfrom such wedging and roll freely around the shaft without engagementtherewith. It will be seen that with this structure the rotary movementof the gear 5 in one direction will drive the shaft 15 directly throughthe pinion 11, clutching said shaft, while the pinion 12, also rotatingin the same direction as the pinion 11, by the same movement of the gear5 will give to the gear 14. a rotary movement in the reverse directionfrom that communicated to the shaft through the pinion 11 and cause itto idle thereabout and that when the movement of. the gear 5 is reversedthe pinion 11 will in like manner idle about the shaft, while the gear14 will be clutched to it and continue the rotation of the shaft in thesame direction as at first.

The construction of the valve by which the fluid is admitted anddischarged alternately at opposite sides of the piston-diaphragm willnow be described.

The case 16 comprises a flange 17, which is adapted to be appliedfacewise to the end of the boss 8 and to make a water-tight seatthereon. At the outer side the casing 16 has connections for aninlet-pipe 18 and an outlet or discharge pipe 19, one above the other,and said casing has an interiorly-projecting rib 20, extendingdiametrically across the cavity between the inlet and the outlet. Seatedwatertight on this rib and on an annular seat 21 is a disk 22, havingapertures 23 and 23 above and 24 and 24 below the plane of the rib 20.Seating on the outer face of the boss 8, within the casing 16, there isa disk 25, constituting a valve-seat and having apertures 26 and 26 atthe upper-part and 27 and 27 at the lower part, corresponding to andregistering with the inlet-ports 6 6 and 7 7, respectively, and alsocorresponding to and in line directly with the ports 23 23 and 24 24 ofthe disk 22. Between the disks 22 and 25, both of which may beconsidered valve-seats, there is a diskvalve 28, having a stem 29, whichpenetrates the disk and extends on and into the diaphragm 2, thelatterbeing bored to receive and afford a substantially water-tightbearing for such stem. The disk-valve 28 has inlet-ports 30 and 30 forcooperation with the ports23 23 and 26 26 of said disk-seatsrespectively. The inlet-ports 30 30 and likewise the outlet-ports 31 31are half as far apart as the ports 23 23, 26 26, 24 24, and

27 27, so thatwhen the disk-valve is rocked with its stem to cause, forexample, its port 30 to register with the ports 23 and 26 and itsdiagonally opposite port 31 to register with the ports 24 and 27theother port of the upper-pair, 30, stands between the two ports 23 23of the disk-seat 22 and between the ports 26 26 of the other seat. andis thereby closed at both ends, and likewise the other port of the lowerpair, 31, standsbetween the ports 24 and 24 of the seat 22 and betweenthe ports 27 27 of the opposite disk-seat, and is therebyclosed atboth.ends, and that in such position the inlet isin communication with themotor-chamber at one side of the diaphragm 2, and the outlet is incommunication at the opposite side of said diaphragm, and to reversecommunication and bring the port 30 into position registered with theports 23 and 26 and the port 31 of the valve'in position registered withthe ports 24 and 27 of the seats will require an angular movement of thevalve only half the distance between the two ports of the several pairsin said seats. This is of importance, inasmuch as the distance betweenthe ports at opposite sides of the diaphragm 2 is necessarily enough toaccommodate the necessary thickness of said diaphragm and to affordadequate diameter for the ports, and it is nevertheless necessary thatthe shifting should be made as nearly instantaneous as possible and thatfor this purpose the movement of the valve to effect such shiftingshould be the shortest possible. For the purpose of rocking the valvewith inappreciable loss of time from one position to the other forreversing the fluid connections, so as not to cause any sensibleinterruption of the flow of the fluid the stem 29 is jointed at 29, theinner portion 29 being connected to the outer by a joint, (shown inFigs. 3 and 6,) which permits one portion of thestem to rock through aconsiderable angle without rocking the other portion. Near the inner endof the diaphragm 2 the inner portion of the stem 29 has rigid with it across-head 32, which is inserted through the diaphragm for penetratingsaid stem, the diaphragm being apertured for that purpose. The stem 29has set fast into' it at its upper side a V.-shaped projection 33, whichextends up into a bore 34, made in the diaphragm 2 from the top, andinrsaid bore there is lodged a short plunger 35, having its lower endpref-- erably obtusely V-shaped to bear upon the upper end V-shapedprojection" 33.- Above the plunger a spring 36 is retained in the boreby a plug 37in the top of the latter, which may be screwed downthereinto to apply any necessary tension to the spring to cause it toperform the function which will be now described. It will benoticed-that the plunger being pressed by the spring down upon theV-shaped-projection 33 will tend to rock the valve-stem in one directionor the other, according as it presses fromone side or the other of theapex of said projection, and that this tendency is increased by theendsof the plunger being also slightly. beveled ortapered, making itobtusely V-shaped, as shown, and if the cross-head 32 is engaged at theend which is at a given time tilted down'and islifted up at that enduntil the apex of the V-shaped projection passes the direct line ofpressure exerted by the spring toward the axis of the stem 29 or untilsaid apex passes the apex of the plunger the action of the spring willtend to complete the rocking of the shaft in the samedirection to theopposite limit. The diaphragm 9 has projecting fromopposite sides camprojections 38 38, which engage under the end of the cross-head at theside which is tilted down and crowd that end upward as the diaphragm 9swings in toward the fixed diaphragm 2. The proportions and relations ofthe coacting surfaces of the parts are calculated to cause thecross-head to be rocked upto and just past horizontal position, carryingthe apex of the projection 33 past the apex of the plunger by the timethe diaphragm 9 has reached the point at which its action should bereversed, and at this point the action of the plunger under thepressureof the spring will with a quick movement complete the rocking ofthe stem necessary to reverse the position of the valve-disk 28 toreverse the fluid connections, as described, so as to admit the fluid onthe side of the fixed diaphragm which the pistondiapbgram has beenapproaching and from which the discharge has been occurring up to thatpoint and to open the ports for outlet at the side at which the fluidhas up to that point been obtaining inlet. The rocking movement of thecross-head and of the inner portion 29" of the valve-stem caused by theengagement of the cam projection 38 of the piston-diaphragm 9 with thecross-head 32 will be calculated to correspond to the play between thetwo parts 29 29 at the joint 29, so that when the portion of the rockingaction which is caused in the quick manner described by the action ofthe spring and plunger will occur after said play is taken up, and theouter portion 29 of the stem will be thereby rocked and will carry thevalve through an angle corresponding to the instantaneous or quickportion of the action, and this action will be performed similarly inreverse directions at the conclusion of each movement of the diaphragm 9in each direction as it approaches the diaphragm 2 alternately fromopposite sides.

It will be seen upon inspection that the relation between the distancewhich separates the two inlet-ports and the two outlet-ports of thevalve 28 and the corresponding distance between the inlet-ports andbetween the outlet-ports of the disks between which said valve is seatedis not necessarily that the ports of the valve are nearer together thanthe ports of the disks, but that the distance between the valve-portsdiffers from the distance between the disk-ports by an amount sufficientto carry a port of the valve from the position registering with acorresponding port of the disks fully out of such registration-that isto say, a distanceequal to thewidth of the ports of the direction ofoscillation "of the valve, Whether the valve-ports are nearer togetherby this distance than the disk-ports or farther apart by likedistancemay be determined by convenience of construction in otherrespects.

It will be understood that the disk 25 is merely a mechanicalconvenience for forming a seat for the valve, which may be wellfinished, and that such disk is in eifect merely a facingplate and theports through it are to be considered as the inlet and outlet ports ofthe chamber itself, and except when expressly specified for the purposeof the convenience in construction indicated this disk is notdistinguished from the integral body of the cychamber a diaphragmoperating pistonwise therein, the chamber having at each side of thefixed diaphragm an inlet and an outlet port; valve devices forcontrolling the inlet and outlet to admit and discharge fluidalternately at opposite sides of said fixed diaphragm; a gear rigid withthe axial shaft outside the chamber; a shaft having two gears clutchedthereto for rotation in one direction and idling in the oppositedirection, one of said gears being meshed directly with said gear on themotor-shaft, and an intermediate gear connecting the other with thefirst-mentioned gear on' the motor-shaft.

2. A fluid motor or meter comprising a cylindrical chamber having arigid, radial diaphragm and an oscillating diaphragm operatingpistonwise in the chamber; the chamber having an inlet and an outlet ateach side of the rigid diaphragm; a disk-valve mounted in position tooscillate over said ports, and having two ports for inlet and two portsfor outlet, the inlet-ports being separated by a distance which differsfrom the distance between the inlet-ports of the chamber by an amountnot less than the width of said ports in the di-' rection of oscillationof the valve, and the outlet-ports being separated by a distancesimilarly related to the distance between the outlet-ports of thechamber, and means operated by the oscillating diaphragm for oscillatingthe valve.

3. A fluid motor or meter comprising a cylindrical chamber having afixed radial diaphragm and an oscillating diaphragm operat ingpistonwise in the chamber, said chamber having at each side of the fixeddiaphragm both an inlet and an outlet port; a disk-valve mounted inposition to oscillate over said ports for opening and closing them,having two ports for inlet and two ports for outlet, the inlet-portsbeing separated a distance differing from the distance between theinlet-ports of the chamber by an amount not less than the Width of theports in the direction of oscillation of the valve, theoutlet-ports ofthe valve being similarly related to the outletports of the chamber, thevalve having a stem which extends into the fixed diaphragm; a cross-headon said stem protruding from the diaphragm; a joint at some pointbetween the cross-head and the valve having play to permit the rockingof the cross-head without oscillating the valve; means on theoscillating diaphragm for engaging the opposite ends of the cross-headas said oscillating diaphragm approaches the fixed diaphragm fromopposite sides respectively, and means operating on the stem at the sideof the joint toward the cross-head for rocking it to the limit in thedirection after it has been positively rocked to the limit of the playof said joint.

4. A fluid motor or meter comprising a cylindrical chamber having afixed radial dia.

phragm and an oscillating diaphragm operating pistonwise in the chamber,said chamber having at each side of the fixed diaphragm both an inletand an outlet port; adisk-valve mounted in position to oscillate oversaid ports for opening and closing them, having two ports for inlet andtwo ports for outlet, the inlet-ports being separated a distancedifi'ering from the distance between the inlet-ports of the chamber byan amount not less than the width of the ports in the direction ofoscillation of the valve, the outlet-ports of the valve being similarlyrelated to the outletports of the chamber, the valve having a stem whichextends into the fixed diaphragm; a cross-head on said stem protrudingfrom the diaphragm; a joint at some point between the cross-head and thevalve having play to permit the rocking of the cross-head withoutoscillating the valve; means on the oscillating diaphragm for engagingthe opposite ends of the cross-head as said oscillating diaphragmapproaches the fixed diaphragm from opposite sides respectively; aprojection extending from the valve-stem beyond the joint toward thecross-head, and a spring disposed in position to exert stress upon saidprojection toward the axis of the stem, whereby said spring completesthe rocking of the stem from the position at which the point ofapplication of the pressure of the spring on the projection has passedthe line of pressure of the spring toward the axis.

5. Afluid motor or meter comprising a cylindrical chamber having a fixedradial diaphragm and an oscillating diaphragm operating pistonwise inthe chamber, said chamber having at each side of the fixed diaphragmboth an inlet and an outlet port; a disk-valve mounted in position tooscillate over said ports for opening and closing them, having two portsfor inlet and two ports for outlet, the inlet-ports being separated adistance difiering from the distance between the inlet-ports of thechamber by an amount not less than the width of the ports in thedirection of oscillation of the valve, the outlet-ports of the valvebeing similarly related to the outletcillating the valve; means on theoscillating diaphragm for engaging the opposite ends of the cross-headas said oscillating diaphragm approaches the fixed diaphragm fromopposite sides respectively; the stem having between the joint and thecross-head a V-shaped projection; a plunger lodged in the fixeddiaphragm and guided therein toward the axis of the valve-stem andbearing against said V- shaped projection, and a spring operating on theplunger to force it toward the stem to complete the rocking of the stemwhen the apex of the V-shaped projection passes the line of thrust ofthe plunger.

6. Afiuid motor or meter comprising a cylindrical chamber having a fixedradial diaphragm and an oscillating diaphragm operating pistonwisetherein, the chamber having at each side of the fixed diaphragm both aninlet and an outlet port; a disk through which such ports are formed; avalve chamber mounted outside the cylindrical chamber encompassing saidports and having inlet and outlet connections and an interior ribseparating the same; a disk seated in said chamber and on saidseparating-rib to inclose at opposite sides of the rib, inlet and outletchambers, said disk having ports in line respectively with the saidinlet and outlet ports, and a disk-valve mounted for oscillation aboutits axis, between and seated at opposite sides on the saidsimilarly-ported disks, said valve having two inlet-ports and twooutlet-ports corresponding to the inlet and outlet ports respectively ofsaid ported disks, the inlet-ports of said disk-valve being separated bya distance ditfering from the distance between said inlet-ports of saiddisks by an amount as great as the width of said ports respectively, inthe direction of oscillation of the valve, and the opposite portsthereof being similarly related to the outlet-ports of said disks, andmeans operated by the oscillating diaphragm for oscillating said valvesaid distance at each oscillation of the diaphragm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 27th day of June, A. D. 1903.

WVILLIE H. REYNOLDS.

In presence of FREDK. G. FIsenER, J. S. ABBOTT.

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